


your marks on my skin

by rikubraveheart



Series: Slice of Clack Event [5]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, Slice of Clack, SoCPrint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25614514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikubraveheart/pseuds/rikubraveheart
Summary: Slice of Clack, Week 5: AU.Throughout the whole day, new sentences keep appearing on his arm, and it almost reminds him of back before they met when all they had was their connection.Back then, he hadn’t answered much. He had always thought soulmates were utter bullshit, a product of their romanticized reality. But even then, when he tried to hate them so much, Zack’s words were one of his few consolations in his lonely existence. A voice in the back of his mind always telling him that no matter how much other people hated him, his soulmate would love him no matter what.Those thoughts had been confirmed once he met Zack.Zack, Cloud and their day to day as soulmates.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Series: Slice of Clack Event [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797526
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75
Collections: Slice of Clack: July 2020





	your marks on my skin

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt chosen for this: soulmate AU.
> 
> Oh my god, I really finished this event! I had SO much fun, and I want to thank the organizers for such a genuinely fun and positive experience.
> 
> My twitter: [@rikubraveheart](https://twitter.com/rikubraveheart)

When people speak of soulmate connections, they always talk about the journey. About talking with your soulmate and getting to know them through the writings on your arms, and the agony of not being able to tell each other your names.

They also talk about the fateful encounter. About finally realizing who your soulmate is, how it changes one’s life for the better.

They never talk about what comes after. 

As it happens, the usefulness of the soulmate connection doesn’t expire when you meet your soulmate. Even in the modern era, where you’re never truly disconnected thanks to your phone, the soulmate connection still has its perks.

Like, for example, when your boyfriend runs to the store and forgets the groceries list.

Cloud’s reading a novel in their comfortable living room when words start to appear on his arm.

_‘Clooooud’_

_‘I forgot the grocery list.’_

_‘And my phone.’_

Next to the third message, he’s drawn a sad face. Cloud sighs, but smiles softly nevertheless. He takes the list from where it’s pinned on the fridge and starts writing it down on his arm. Fortunately, there aren’t many items. Last time this had happened, he had had to cover half of his arm with their grocery list.

When he’s done writing everything down, he gets another message from Zack.

_‘Thanks!’_

Next to it, there’s a sloppily-drawn heart. Cloud’s own heart softens at the sight of it. It’s been years since they found out about their soulmate connection, but Zack is still his same silly, mushy self.

Cloud wonders if other soulmates use the connection as much as they do, or if it’s just a thing they do due to Zack’s forgetful nature. Either way, he’s thankful for the chance to contact Zack whenever he needs to.

For example, when Zack goes out to work and forgets to check his phone all day. Cloud’s given up on sending him messages already, certain Zack will probably see them when he gets home, which is counterproductive since he needs him to pick up something from Tifa’s.

So he once again makes use of their soulmate connection

_‘Remember to stop by Tifa’s before coming home’_

He gets no response from Zack, so he can only hope he saw it. He gets his answer later that day, when he comes back home with the tools he had lent Tifa a few months ago. He kisses him and mutters a thank you against his lips.

“I need to do some minor modifications on Fenrir,” he explains. Zack smiles at him, knowing how much he loves his bike.

“It’s a good thing I got them for you, then,” he says, and proceeds to hug Cloud from behind his back while he cooks dinner.

Cloud appreciates this kind of moments with Zack, moments he used to think he’d never get. It’s a pity he’s gonna have to go without them for a few days.

“You have everything packed?” he asks Zack. 

“Yep!” Zack replies. “All set and ready to travel to Gongaga for a few days. You know you could come too, right?”

Cloud _knows_ that, but there’s too much to do around the Edge to allow himself to go on vacation. And, admittedly, the fact that the last time he had met Zack’s parents hadn’t been on good terms also helps to make that decision.

“I’m needed over here,” he says, and they leave it at that.

The next day Zack parts with a bag on his shoulder and a smile on his face, excited to see his parents again after a long time. 

Cloud’s days without Zack aren’t as lonely as he thought they’d be, his friends are always around to brighten them up. Going back to their empty apartment at the end of the day _is_ a little bit disheartening, but then he has the messages Zack leaves on his arm and on his phone to remind him that it’s just temporary.

Throughout the whole day, new sentences keep appearing on his arm, and it almost reminds him of back before they met when all they had was their connection.

Back then, he hadn’t answered much. He had always thought soulmates were utter bullshit, a product of their romanticized reality. But even then, when he tried to hate them so much, Zack’s words were one of his few consolations in his lonely existence. A voice in the back of his mind always telling him that no matter how much other people hated him, his soulmate would love him no matter what. 

Those thoughts had been confirmed once he met Zack.

Speaking of him, he’s writing on his arm once again.

_‘I miss you’_

_‘I miss kissing you’_

A light blush appears on Cloud’s cheeks, putting a hand over his lips to hide his smile even though he knows no one is watching him, but nevertheless he gets a pen and answers.

_‘I miss you too.’_

Zack’s writes back immediately.

_‘!!!’_

_‘Wait, I have an idea.’_

Cloud sits, waiting, wondering what Zack’s idea could be. A few minutes later, he gets his answer when a kiss mark appears on his arm. Cloud blinks, surprised.

_‘There! Now it’s like I kissed you.’_

He snorts, the image of Zack getting lipstick from who knows where and kissing his own arm appearing in his mind. 

_‘Dork.’_

He writes. Zack may be a dork, but he’s _his_ dork and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He tries not to think about how he’d have to go around with a kiss mark on his arm for the rest of the day.

Of course, Aerith is quick to notice it and even quicker to tease him about it. 

“It’s not polite to leave a gentleman waiting, you know?” she says. “You should kiss him back.”

He blushes at the thought. It wouldn’t be the first time he puts lipstick on, that’s not really a big deal, but the thought of doing something so _mushy_ makes him blush. That’s Zack’s thing, not his. 

The idea becomes more appealing when he thinks about how surprised Zack will be, and so he agrees. He _loves_ surprising Zack by taking the initiative, even if it’s hard for him to do so. 

Aerith isn’t one to carry make-up around, so they go to her house once they’re free to do so.

She insists on putting the lipstick on, and Cloud obliges knowing that if he did it himself it’d be a disaster (secretly, he wonders if Zack got help with it too). A few minutes after leaving the mark on his arm, he gets a response.

_‘I love you.’_

The words are surrounded by a bunch of hearts. Cloud smiles.

_‘I love you too.’_

He can’t wait for Zack to come back home so he can say those words out loud once again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, here's my Twitter: [@rikubraveheart](https://twitter.com/rikubraveheart)
> 
> Thanks to [Yetu](https://twitter.com/RedBearUniverse) for beta reading this!
> 
> Subscribe to my ao3 if you've liked my fics for this event! I pretend to write more zakkura in the future.


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